Folding crate



J. R. KLUG FOLDING CRATE July 22 1924.

Filed July 17, 1923 3 Sheeis-Sheet 1 J. R. KLUG FOLDING CRATE Fild July 1 1923 s Sheets-Sheet Jul 22 1924.

m 22, 1924. 1,502,252 J. R. KLUG FOLDING CRATE Filed July 17, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 22, 1924.

UNHTED STATES JOHN R. KLUG, OF MUNDAY, TEXAS.

FOLDING CRATE.

Application filed July 17, 1923. Serial No. 652,098.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. KLUG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Munday, in the county of Knox and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding crates, and more particularly to a collapsible ship ping crate which may be employed for ship; ping poultry, eggs, fruit, or any other ma terial, and which may be readily folded into. compact-form to be returned to the shipper or stored in a minimum space for future use.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a. folding crate of this character which may be cheaply manufactured and which may be strong, durable, and readily able to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

Other objects of the invention will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fold ing crate constructed in accordance with m invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a cross section similar to Figure 3, showing the crate folded,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the crate folded,

Figure 6 is a detailed view of the latch hook,

Figure 7 is a detailed view showing the manner of holding the parts together when folded,

Figure 8 is an elevation of the crate showing the manner of constructing it of wire mesh,

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the same, and

Figure 10 is a cross section of the line 99 of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the crate consists of the top wall 1 and the bottom 2 forming the cover and floor of the crate respectively. The longitudinal corners of the crate are provided with the retaining bars 3 and the end bars 4 forming the top retaining frame within which the top cover 1 is hingedlymounted by the hinges 6. The top wall 1 is also provided with hook members 7 engageable with eyelets 8 in the retaining bars 3' of the top frame, so that the cover may be held in operative position.

The front and back walls 9 and 10 respectively each consist of sections 11 and 12 hingedly connected at their meeting edges by thehinges 13, and having their opposite edges hingedly connected to the fastening hooks 14 which are carried by the top and bottom'of the crate, thus permitting the sections 11 and 12 to (swing inwardly as shown in Figure 4: when the crate is folded.

The end walls 15 are provided with openings around the marginal edges to receive pins 16 which project from the end edges of the top,.bottom and side walls, and the corner pinsltl are provided with openings to receive fastening hooks 17 which are pivotally mounted upon the end walls to be swung into position when the crate is erected, as in Figure 1.

When the crate is to be collapsed and folded, the hooks 17 will be disconnected so that the end walls 5 may be removed from the pins 16, whereupon the side walls 9 and 10 will be folded, as shown in Figure 4, and the end wall sections 15 will be thrust into the spaces between the folded side walls and the top and bottom walls respectively, thus compactly retaining the entire structure in a relatively small space.

To bind the structure in folded position, a hook 18 and a chain 19 is employed between the top cover 1 and the bottom wall 2, as shown in Figure 7, thus permitting the hook to be hooked into one of the links of the chain 19 for maintaining the structure in tightly closed position.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings illustrate the structure as it appears when constructed of wire mesh, as will be desirable when the crate is constructed to contain poultry or other farm products requiring free ventilation of the crate.

Minorchanges may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit .of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What I-claim as new and desire by secure by Letters Patent is:

1; A collapsible shipping crate having a top, bottom, side and end walls, a top frame comprising longitudinal retaining bars and transverse retaining bars forming a rectangular frame, the top wa'll being hingedly mounted .in the frame, the said side walls being of sectional construction and consisting of upper and lower sections hingedly connected at their meeting edges for inward folding movement of the said side walls,

the remote edges of the said sidewall sections being hingedly connected to the said longitudinal retaining bars in the said frame, the end edges of the said top frame, side walls, and bottom wall being provided with outwardly projecting pins, the end walls r to. retainthe said end walls in position'onhaving their marginal edges equipped with openings to receive the'said pins whereby the end walls maybe attached to the said endedges of the other walls, and latch hooks the said pins;

2A colla psible shipping crate having a top, bottom, side and end walls, a top frame comprising longitudinal retaining bars and transverse retainingjb'ars forming a rectangular frame, a top wall being hingedly mounted in'the frame, the said side walls being of sectional construction and consistingof upper "and lower sections hinged'ly connected at their meeting edges for inward folding movement of the 'said'si'de walls,

the remote edges of the said side-wall sections being hingedly connected to' the said longitudinal retaining bars in the Said frame, the end edges of the said top frame, side walls, and bottom wall being provided with outwardly projecting pins, the end walls-having their marginal edges equipped with openings to receive the said pins whereby the end walls may-beattached to the said the said collapsible side walls and the top and bottom walls when the side walls are folded inwardly, said space being adapted to receive the said end walls when they are removed from the pins; g

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature in the presence of. two witnesses.

' JOHN R. KLUG.

Witnesses: V 1

- T. D. IsBieLL; MARY 'IQLUG'. 

